What Supplements Should a Dog Not Take If He Is Undergoing Chemotherapy?

When a beloved dog is diagnosed with cancer, the news is devastating to most pet owners. Many pet owners will do everything possible to help their furry friend recover. However, some cancers are more treatable than others. Work closely with the veterinarian for medicine management, diet alteration and supplementation, as all of these are important tools. Understand that some herbal supplements can interfere with chemotherapy and should be avoided.

  1. Ineffective Supplements

    • Many supplements promise anti-cancer properties but several have been found to have no real benefit in dogs. Some of these supplements are alfalfa, soybean concentrate, chlorella and spirulina. In fact, alfalfa has even been suggested to have negative effects on the immune system and should be avoided altogether.

    Anticoagulants

    • Several supplements should be avoided during treatment including garlic, ginger, saw palmetto, chamomile and MSM. These supplements can thin the blood, and many cancer patients already are prone to thrombocytopenia, which is a bleeding disorder. Talk with the veterinarian for individual chemotherapy drug interaction information.

    Antioxidants

    • While antioxidants like vitamins C and E and beta carotene are all powerful body healers, they can interfere with chemotherapy and radiation treatments. These should be avoided altogether during treatment. However, such antioxidants can be used up until one week prior to starting treatment regimens and resumed one week after treatment stops. Ginger also hold many antioxidant properties and should also be avoided during treatments.